Cooking Turkey

Buying Turkey

Turkeys come fresh, frozen, pre-basted, and unbasted. You can buy a fresh turkey just 1-2 days before cooking, but a frozen one can be purchased months ahead. Plan for one pound of turkey per person if there are no other meats being served. Whole turkeys range in size from 5-30 pounds and can also be purchased in parts. If you and your family are partial to the white meat, purchasing only whole breast might be your best option.

Pre-basted turkeys come with water, oil, and/or spices already injected into them. This helps keep the meat tender and moist during cooking. Of course, you can always baste a turkey yourself with the drippings, oil, or butter.

Thawing Poultry

• The most highly recommended method is to thaw in the refrigerator. Leave the turkey in its original wrapper and place it on a pan or tray large enough to catch any liquid that may drip. Allow a turkey to thaw 24 hours for every five pounds.
• To thaw outside of the refrigerator, place the turkey (still in original wrapper) in a sink full of cold water that covers the bird. Thawing time will be approximately 30 minutes per pound.
• To thaw in a microwave, please check the manufacturer’s directions for settings and minutes per pound for turkeys. Turkeys thawed in a microwave should be cooked immediately to reduce risk of spoilage.
• The risk of bacteria growth and food borne illness makes thawing a turkey at room temperature on a counter, or outside, a bad idea.

Before Cooking Your Turkey

Many cooks have been red-faced because the bag containing the neck, giblets, and liver was not removed from the turkey prior to cooking. Make sure you reach deep inside the cavity and take out everything. Then, rinse and pat your turkey dry before seasoning or marinating.

From Bland to Bam

Turkey is receptive to a myriad of flavors that are easy to marry with the natural taste of the bird. A dry rub can be used to increase the taste but will not penetrate the meat as much as a marinade will. Marinades spread flavor throughout the turkey and are the best taste enhancers. To make a marinade, choose water, broth, wine, oil, or vinegar as the base liquid and add dry spices or herbs. You can also purchase a commercial marinade or even use prepared Italian salad dressing. Letting the turkey sit in the marinade requires that it be turned periodically so all of the flesh comes in contact with the liquid.

Another flavorful option is to inject the marinade into the turkey. This requires an injector, which is easy to find in most cooking or kitchen supply stores. If the needle opening of the injector is not large enough to deliver your selected seasonings without clogging, check out your local farm supply store since they often carry larger ones. Insert the tip of the needle at several sites in the breast and into the deepest parts of the legs, thighs, and drumstick portion of the wings.

Cooking Turkey

• Roasting - Place a seasoned turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow pan or in an oiled roasting pan. The turkey may be brushed with melted butter or oil to encourage browning.
• Foil Wrapped - Cooking a turkey wrapped in aluminum foil produces very moist meat because the turkey steams in its own juices. Tear off a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil three times the length of the turkey. Place the turkey on the foil lengthwise, breast side up. The ends of the foil should overlap, and the sides should come up around the bird. When using a thermometer, insert it through the foil. To brown, remove foil for the last 30 minutes of cooking. Juice will accumulate, but don’t throw it out; this flavorful liquid can be used to make gravy or saved for another recipe. Cooking time may be reduced 30-60 minutes.
• Braising - To braise, cook the turkey in a small amount of liquid in a covered pan at 325°-350°. Braising produces a moist cooking heat and skin will brown slightly.
• Grilling - Grill over indirect heat using a drip pan. Arrange hot coals on either side of the drip pan and place the seasoned turkey on a rack over the pan, breast-side down. This allows the juice from the dark meat to run down into the breast. keeping it moist. Halfway through cooking, turn the turkey, breast-side up. More coals may have to be added every 45 minutes to maintain the 325°-350° needed temperature range. To produce a smoky flavor in the meat, water-soaked wood chips may be added to the hot coals. A 10-14 pound bird should take four hours to cook.
• Fried - First, words of caution: never attempt to fry a turkey indoors. Use a turkey fryer on an outdoor gas cooker with a propane tank. Use peanut oil for frying since it has a high smoking point and will not burn easily. Use the utensils that come with the fryer to lower and lift the turkey from the hot oil. An injected marinade is the best way to flavor your turkey when frying it. Check the manufacturer’s directions of your fryer for additional hints and safeguards.

Turkey Tips

However you decide to cook your turkey, there are a few things you should know. Wash your hands and any surfaces and utensils that may have come in contact with the raw meat and never stuff a turkey the night before. These precautions reduce the risk of food borne illnesses.

If using a thermometer, place it at the meatiest part of the thigh, but do not let it touch the bone. Internal temperature of the turkey should be 180 degrees when it is done. Let the turkey rest for 15-20 minutes before carving; this resting time gives the juices a chance to settle. Carving your bird too early results in the juices running out, and the meat ends up dry.

Turkey Resources

The following sites are excellent resources for frequently asked questions about shopping for, preparing, and cooking a turkey:

• Honeysuckle White
• Butterball web site

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